The iCargo API is an entity-centric HTTP REST interface for the exchange of information with and within the iCargo ecosystem to be used by iCargo Access Points. These Access Points require a ontology as configuration because the iCargo API is based on semantics.

The iCargo ecosystem is a federation of distributed and independent systems, designed to support Transport Logistics with the exchange of information between organisations across the Supply Chain. Access Points are software services which support the iCargo API and provide a single entry point for an organisation to the iCargo ecosystem. One of the characteristics of this ecosystem is controlled and secure exchange of information without the need for a centralised controlling system or organisation.

The iCargo REST API can be implemented as symmetrical software modules called inbound and outbound connectors at the beginning or at the end of a pipeline of software services. The concepts of inbound and outbound connectors are required to distinguish a synchronous response from an asynchronous response.

This API specification and the iCargo ecosystem are developed by the iCargo project.

This specification describes the following topics:

• Capabilities, an overview of the functionality;
• Information model, required for addressing (REST) resources and describes how the resources and their status shall be modelled in a knowledge base;
• Generic specification, applicable for all API calls such as mandatory HTTP-header attributes and the path structure of the URL;
• Access restrictions, authorisation requirements related to the different types and roles identified for an actor;
• Function specific specification, a detailed description for each HTTP call of the path to a resource, how to use the header attributes and the expected result.

The Entity-centric Services interface [IES] supports the following entity-centric specific capabilities of an Access Point:

• To create and register an entity;
• To search for an entity and discover which Access Points can provide information;
• To provide information about a concept or entity;
• To perform an entity related action such as publish/subscribe;
• To change or update the attributes an entity including relations to other entities;
• To delete an entity.

Additionally, the following capabilities are supported as well:

• To support invitations for cooperation;
• To provide information about the Access Point itself;
• To route information to other software services as part of a workflow;
• To support life cycle management of concepts and entities and their states.

Section E4 will elaborate how each capability is supported per API call.

The body of all iCargo compliant requests and responses is a uniform JSON data structure using UTF-8 character encoding. This enables a uniform way for creating request and processing responses and results in less code and bugs. For an in depth description of the iCargo body data structure click here.

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